Prior art thermal barriers are known for dividing a van into separate driver and work compartments so that the heater and/or air conditioner will be more effectively used for the comfort of the occupants of the driver compartment. For example consider Paul F. Woodrich, U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,154, Jan. 4, 1972 for Heat-Retaining Partition for Automotive Van. There are many deficiencies to such prior art barrier systems, which must depend upon a critical transparent material that will fold itself against sidewalls and can be hung by adhesive to a permanently installed crossarm built into the van. The barrier material also must be held down by heavy magnets that must adhere to a metallic van floor, which is not always available at preferred locations. Also the weight of the magnets tend to rupture the retaining "Velcro" adhesive attachment strip to the top crossarm. Nor is any facility provided for storage of the barrier in the van when not in use during comfortable weather.
William P. McKenzie, U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,856, Nov. 11, 1986 for Mountable and Demountable Partition Structure for Motor Vehicles provides permanently installed frames for moving in and out a replaceable transparent plate barrier. This barrier interferes with the van side door opening dimensions and reduces work space in the working compartment.
Jeffrey L. Ward, U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,480, Apr. 19, 1988 for Van Body Conversion provides a permanent framework conversion for holding in place a bolted in solid wall barrier in a modified van body. If the barrier is removed, residual framework of the modified van body would interfere with van usage.
James A. Williamson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,518, Jul. 3, 1990 for Vehicle Partition Assembly provides flexible strips suspended from an upper framework permanently installed in a modified van for permitting objects to pass through the barrier.
It is the objective of the present invention to provide an improved van barrier system with features not available in the aforesaid systems, including the feature of simplified installation without tools or van modification, which is not provided by the prior art.
Also objectives of this invention include providing an easily removable barrier and a barrier system that serves as a work organizer.